Amidst these changes and struggles, our mission regarding marriage remains the same  to renew and strengthen the institution.

In March of 2013, we released A Call for a New Conversation on Marriage, signed by 75 scholars and leaders. You can read the Call. You can also read the New York Times story on the Call. To see how this project continued to unfold, you can read David Blankenhorn and Jonathan Rauchs op-ed in the NY Daily News, read David and Jonathans dialogue in the Huffington Post, read David Blankenhorns op-ed in the LA Times, and listen to David interview the author and psychologist Jonathan Haidt on Can We Bet Beyond the Marriage Culture Wars? (The Haidt conversation is the first in a series.)

A hallmark of our work is collaboration across disciplinary and philosophical lines. Our 2013 book What is Parenthood? brings together diverse scholars who frequently disagree for collaborative engagement on the meaning of parenthood, and our 2013 book Gender and Parenthood brings together scholars from the natural and social sciences to explore the biochemistry and social roles of parenting.

Institute scholars are currently leading a major study of Gen X caregiving and grieving called Homeward Bound: Aging, Death, and Dying in an Era of High Family Fragmentation.

Another result of creative scholarly collaboration is our 2013 report Does the Shape of Faith Shape Families?, which explores the relationship between family structure and religious faith and offers recommendations to houses of worship.

Institute scholars are also proposing a new policy idea for states to reduce unnecessary divorce, and recommending a marriage agenda to President Obama.